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N etworked Global Problem Solving in international conflicts. “ Social media has transformed our democratic institutions in such a way that what takes place in the more traditional institutions of power (…) has become almost a sideshow" Grimsson , president of Iceland .
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“Social media has transformed our democratic institutions in such a way that what takes place in the more traditional institutions of power (…) has become almost a sideshow" Grimsson, president of Iceland • Global networks of engament
The internet can be seen as an analogy as well as a medium for global networks. • Facebook connects more than 900 million people worldwide • Conscious engagement through trade, internet, social movements • Unconsciously interconnected: “My life, my body, my individual existence become part of another world, of foreign cultures, religions, histories and global interdependencies without my realizing or expressly wishing it” (Beck) Global networks
Climate change, terrorism, inequality etc.. are global in their scope and thus require global solutions. • The system of international institutions in place to address these issues is based on national self-interest and seems incongruent with the scale and severity of contemporary global challenges. • Can global networks provide a new arena for global problem-solving? • Tapscott: “We are in the early days of an explosion of new, networked models to solve global problems” Networked global problem solving
Kan dette virke i internationale konflikter? • 3 examples Can this work in internatonal conflicts?
“I'm not an official representative of my country. I’m a father and a teacher. I know the streets of my town, I talk with my neighbors, my family, my students, my friends and in the name of all these people …we love you”
Optimal conditions for NGPS to be applicable in conflict transformation: • Global consciousness • Global responsibility • Global network culture
“everybody is free to do whatever they want as long as they do not violate the rights of their fellow countrymen” Is this enough?
The affect of ones actions cannot be predicted • One cannot act responsibly if one is not aware • Responsibility: A readiness to respond to the challenges one is aware of and to that which is higher Global responsible action
Culture of contributing • A paradigm of ”giving” vs. A paradigm of ”self-interest” • Culture of collaboration • A new way of coming together and collaborating beyond ego • Culture of peace • Let go of enemy images and go to the root of the problem Global network culture
“We share what we love and it reminds us what we all have in common” Kony2012
“close the gap between the world we have and the world most people everywhere want” • “global public opinion is the new super power, if people lead the leaders will follow” • “we are all human beings first, and privileged with responsibilities to each other, to future generations, and to the planet” Avaaz
“there is some nationality which is called humanity, there is some religion which is called love” Majid
Lack of ability to embrace complexity • Kony: enemy image, simplifies the situation, lack empathy/respect for local context • Israel-Loves-Iran: ”Peace is a simple process” What is peace??? • Avaaz: enemy images, one interview person; ”high level of global consciousness”. Global consciousness
Fail going to the root of the problem! • Kony: focus on one person rather than the system • Avaaz: lack of focus, based on western mass-media • Israel-Loves-Iran: no focus on Palestine Global network culture
Pogge: it does not change the global system • Singer: it does not change behaviour Change?
Morozov: “given enough tweets the world’s problems are solvable” • People become lacy if they think they can change the world through a click Slacktivism
Challenging pluralistic ignorance • Symbolic action Networked symbolic action
“because of the zeitgeist of the culture in the world we needed an enemy” • “let’s suppose we made a movie that’s better than the Kony-movie – really gets to the heart of the matter – and suppose that it went viral and reached a 100 million people, and these 100 million people say, they learned a lesson and said we have to be united, no more amateurish ‘every person for himself” • Avaaz: Create confidence in humanity and empower people to create change • Kony: gave rise to worldwide discussions • Israel-Loves-Iran: affect relationships Cultural change
NGPS: not good at solving a specific conflict • But applicable for changing culture Conclusion